On the afternoon of July 2, 1863, Father William Corby climbed onto a granite boulder along Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg and raised his right hand. Read more
A railroad spike doesn’t look like much.
It is not as sleek as a cavalry officers sword made by renowned jeweler Tiffany & Co., as deeply personal as a soldier’s ID tag, or display-worthy as a rare Confederate belt plate. Most are heavy, scarred, rust-pitted, and beautifully plain. The kind of relic you might pick up at an artifact show, turn over in your hand, and think, “Well, that’s neat,” before drifting toward the table with the gold gilded buttons, brass buckles, and other things that look better under glass.
But that piece of iron points to one of the most overlooked reasons the Union won the Civil War. Read more
History is full of ironies, but few are as deliciously contradictory as Prohibition (1920–1933). The U.S. government declared alcohol illegal, yet America somehow managed to drink more than ever. ‘Merica! Speakeasies thrived, bootleggers got rich, and law enforcement often looked the other way (or raised a glass of their own). But the real survivors of the “Noble Experiment” weren’t just Al Capone and bathtub gin, they were the tokens that told the story of a dry nation thirsty for loopholes, independence, and the occasional bit of debauchery. Read more
At the intersection of advertising, tobacciana, and numismatics, tobacco tags, also known as tobacco tin tags or tobacco can tags, are a collector’s delight. Read more
Digging bucket and gear in hand, I took a moment to enjoy the expansive views from atop the northeastern slope of Chief Mountain, a stone’s throw away from scenic Pala, California. I was there to rummage through old mine dumps from the Pala Chief Mine and its various nearby prospects. Specifically, I was on the hunt for some of the world’s most prized tourmaline, known for its rich colors and clarity. The ol’ Pala Chief didn’t disappoint. Read more
While Tennessee toasts Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, and Kentucky cheers Jim Beam’s Bourbon, neighboring South Carolina runs dry on notable liquor royalty. As America’s whiskey and bourbon men were mashing their way to fame and fortune at the turn of the 20th century, a conniving, one-eyed politician was cooking up his own elixir: a state-run monopoly on all alcohol bottled and sold within the borders of the Palmetto State, South Carolina. Read more
When milling about an antique store one lazy afternoon, I came across an assortment of red and blue discs, haphazardly displayed inside a locked curio case. About the size and thickness of a penny, made from fibrous material, and designed to look like currency, I soon learned these tokens—and millions more like them—once served a vitally important role in America’s wartime economy during World War II. Read more
With the American Civil War being just the second large-scale war to occur during the age of photography (the Crimean War being the first), people of the day saw the indelible images of battle for the first time – casualties, carnage, privation, hardship, heroics, and, yes, absolutely stunning facial hair. Read more
Collecting Native American projectile points, or arrowheads as they are commonly called, has been a popular pastime for generations of history enthusiasts. In prehistoric North America, projectile points were designed to be fastened to the ends of spears, darts, and arrow shafts. While points were made from antler, bone, and copper, most—at least most that have been preserved—were made from stone. Read more
Thanks to its swashbuckling history, conch-style architecture, historical landmarks, Caribbean vibes, tangy Key Lime Pie, picturesque sunsets, and eclectic culture, Florida’s Key West has long been an alluring destination for the inquisitive traveler. Read more